Pushing ahead with plans for health and social care review

Over the last six weeks, four discrete working groups have met to debate and develop their five-year visions for the way services around long term conditions, women and children, planned care and unplanned care (or emergency care) could be delivered in the future. On 17 March, these four groups came together at a dedicated workshop to decide how their aspirations will combine and drive forward the collective vision for the health and social care system in Northern Lincolnshire.

Dr Robert Jaggs-Fowler, Medical Director for North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group and a practising GP, chaired the workshop as the clinical lead for the HLHF programme. He said: “We had excellent representation at the workshop from professionals from right across the health and social care system. This demonstrated their commitment to the joint working process between commissioners and providers that is fundamental to the success of the Healthy Lives Healthy Futures programme.

“There was an extremely positive discussion and exchange of ideas between the group and we were able to reach a consensus on many issues. We now have a firm foundation to develop and design a health and social care system for the people of Northern Lincolnshire that will be sustainable and of the highest quality.”

The four working groups will be meeting again in the coming weeks to agree what changes could be made in the short to medium term, to move towards their five-year visions with a view to developing longer term plans for delivery over the next few months. As with all HLHF activity so far, any proposed major service changes would first go through a rigorous process of full engagement and consultation with the public and other stakeholders.